21 'From Barristers to Baristas - I Quit Law to Open a Cafe' with George Woodyard (BART Jr. & Southside Charmer, Sydney)

The Creative Coach with Dan Brophy

Have you ever thought about opening your own cafe or restaurant?

My guest this week did... until she decided to. George Woodyard is the owner, operator and cook at restaurant and bar, Bart Jr.

Bart Jr may be named after a notorious stray cat in Sydney's slowly gentrifying Redfern neighbourhood, but there's nothing scrappy about this local institution.

The bar food menu is full of 'the best version of old favourites' - and a couple of your next new favourites.

For those of you who don't know that my entire life revolves around food, let me tell you: the way to my heart is through my stomach. When George designs a dish, it's the key ingredient that is celebrated. To taste a dish that is nothing more a baked potato, it's like no potato you've ever eaten.

You can't imagine octopus fresher or more lithe. It comes garlic-infused and accompanied by a homemade hummus.

The atmosphere is a vibrant small bar on a corner in a quiet neighbourhood. It has the perfect ambiance for a first date or an effortless night out and the menu changes every fortnight, so there is always a reason to keep going back.

Although it is devastated when a favourite is retired, your heart will race to discover it's been re-instated. Good dining is like theatre, and I applaud after every meal at Bart Jr.

But this isn't her first venture, George and her business partner Annie have started fires all around Sydney: first they launched cafes Scout's Honour in Redfern, then Morris in Paddington - all of which felt simple and impressive and punched above their weight in terms of quality of experience. Next up, it's a wine bar.

However George is not a trained chef. George trained as a lawyer - and it was her decision to quit her day job to pursue her passion that I was most excited to talk to her about.

This is a great conversation for anyone who has sat at a cafe and thought, 'I could do this'. Or for anyone who is feeling anxious about being stuck in a career path that they are no longer feeling connected to - in George's case, her career in law was one of the best foundations for her career reinvention as it gave her the startup capital and learning foundations that could equip her to take the leap.

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